George Hennessy, 1st Baron Windlesham

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George Richard James Hennessy, 1st Baron Windlesham, OBE (March 23, 1877-October 8, 1953), was a British soldier and Conservative politician.

Hennessy served in the First World War as a Major in the King's Royal Rifle Corps and on the Staff of the 8th Division. In 1918 he was elected to parliament for Winchester, a seat he held until 1931, and served under Bonar Law and Baldwin as a Junior Lord of the Treasury from 1922 to 1924 and from 1924 to 1925, as Vice-Chamberlain of the Household from 1925 to 1928 and as Treasurer of the Household from 1928 to 1929. Hennessy held the latter position also from September to November 1931 in the National Government of Ramsay Macdonald. From 1931 to 1941 he was Vice-Chairman of the Conservative and Unionist Party. Hennessy was created a Baronet, of Windlesham in the County of Surrey, in 1927, and in 1937 he was raised to the peerage as Baron Windlesham, of Windlesham in the County of Surrey.

Lord Windlesham married Ethel Mary Wynter, daughter of Charles Reginald Wynter, in 1898. He died in October 1953, aged 76, and was succeeded in the Baronetcy and Barony by his eldest son James Bryan George Hennessy. The latter's son, David Hennessy, 3rd Baron Windlesham, is also a Conservative politician.


Parliament of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
Douglas Carnegie
Member of Parliament for Winchester
1918-1931
Succeeded by
Robert Ellis
Political offices
Preceded by
Douglas Hacking
Vice-Chamberlain of the Household
1925–1928
Succeeded by
Frederick Charles Thomson
Preceded by
George Gibbs
Treasurer of the Household
1928–1929
Succeeded by
Ben Smith
Preceded by
Ben Smith
Treasurer of the Household
1931
Succeeded by
Sir Frederick Charles Thomson
Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by
New creation
Baron Windlesham
1937–1953
Succeeded by
James Bryan George Hennessy